Department of Water probe welcomed by Western Cape government

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 12: President Jacob Zuma and Nomvula Mokonyane during Zuma’s 75th birthday celebrations at Kliptown on April 12, 2017 in Soweto, South Africa. While giving a speech, Zuma said he would step down if the ANC asked him to do so. (Photo by Gallo Images / Rapport / Elizabeth Sejake)

Image Credits: Gallo

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and her government have welcomed the announcement of a full parliamentary inquiry into theFINANCES of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The announcement comes less than a day after President Ramaphosa’s first cabinet reshuffle.

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) made the announcement as the DWS faces huge criticism over the various water crises.

The Cape Town water crisis, in particular, has seen a political back and forth between the DA and ANC as nobody wants to take the blame.

On Tuesday, Zille continued to call out the DWS for their lack of funding for the Cape drought.

“Although bulk water supply is its mandate, the DWS has not made funding available for augmentation in this crisis, because the national Treasury has literally turned off their funding tap following a disastrous audit outcome”.

Zille said that for every high-risk municipality in the Western Cape, there was a failed, delayed or abandoned DWS water supply project. This included a Clanwilliam Dam wall raising project, with an allocated budget of R2 billion.

Building was supposed to take place from 2013 to 2018.

The DWS recently announced that it now simply does not have theMONEY for the project. Get this, though: Workers have been on-site since 2014, costing a fortune.

Former Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane will now take up her new role as minister of communications. Many had expected her to be removed from cabinet completely, but it seems ANC politics is still in play.